Welcome. You'll find comments and information here about education in Tennessee with a focus on Nashville as well other issues as I keep an eye on legislation and news. You'll quickly realize I'm a conservative Christian who isn't the quiet submissive type and doesn't mind rankling, if necessary, to get the job done.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Last January I blogged about MNPS being nominated for the Broad Prize (New York won). Then I noted it was founded by some Southern California folks. Now with MNPS Director of Schools Dr. Pedro Garcia refusing to deny rumors that he's being interviewed by the San Diego school district this seems, again, like very convenient timing.

How MNPS could be nominated and yet be considered a failing district by the State of Tennessee is a wonderment to most of us.

The $1 million Broad (rhymes with "road") Prize is an annual award that honors large urban school districts that demonstrate the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among poor and minority students. The money goes directly to graduating high school seniors for college scholarships. http://www.broadprize.org/

The things you find doing a Google search. Last year the LATimes had Garcia on a list of potential new superintendents for their district. They gave the odds as 500:1 he'd make it.

2 comments:

Kay -- I asked someone else about the Broad award. She did some reach and thinks they focus solely on urban school districts of which there are roughly 100. Each district gets considered only five (I think) win. Being considered for the prize appears to be a joke for this district.

The $1 million Broad (rhymes with "road") Prize is an annual award that honors large urban school districts that demonstrate the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among poor and minority students. The money goes directly to graduating high school seniors for college scholarships.

To be eligible for The Broad Prize, school districts must meet certain criteria related to size, poverty and urbanicity. Winners from the previous three years are ineligible (New York City Department of Education, Boston Public Schools and Norfolk Public Schools). The eligibility criteria are:

· All K-12 districts serving more than 100,000 students.

· All K-12 districts serving between 35,000 and 99,999 students in which at least 40 percent of students are eligible for Free or Reduced-Price School Lunch (FRSL), in which at least 40 percent of their student enrollment comes from minority groups and that have an urban designation (Locale Code 1, 2, or 3 in the National Center for Education Statistics' Common Core of Data*).

· Any previous year finalist with at least 20,000 students not meeting the above criteria and the largest urban district (Locale Code 1, 2 or 3) in states with no districts meeting the above criteria, as long as the district has at least 20,000 students and has either 40 percent FRSL or 40 percent minority.

· To complete the list of 100 districts, if needed, the largest urban district (Locale Code 1, 2, or 3) that has either 40 percent FRSL or 40 percent minority and is larger than 20,000 students.

*Locale Code 1 (Large City) represents a city with a population of 250,000 or larger that is the central city in a Census Bureau Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) or Consolidated Statistical Area (CSA). Locale Code 2 (Mid-size City) is a city with fewer than 250,000 people that nonetheless is a central city in a CBSA or CSA. Locale Code 3 (Urban Fringe of a Large City) represents an area defined as urban by the Census Bureau falling within the CBSA or CSA of a large city. For example, Los Angeles is a Code 1 district, Providence is a Code 2 district and Garden Grove is a Code 3 district.

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Tennessee Constitution

The state of Tennessee recognizes the inherent value of education and encourages its support. The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance, support and eligibility standards of a system of free public schools. Article XI, Sec. 12